Kai in Wolfman not for me

I have a pretty decent stash of Kai as I’ve found them to be good sharp blades. I used them pretty consistently in my ATT razors before I sold them. I’ve since been using Polsilver in my Wolfman and getting great results. Tried to switch it up today and found the Kai very harsh. Overall result was still good but much harsher experience. Oh well crazy how blades act differently in different razors.

I had a similar experience with my Wunderbar. It seems to take almost any blade well so I dropped a feather in there and it was definitely one of those shaves of regret! My face was burning for hours after that one. Feathers seem to be a complete avoid for me.

I’ve read that KAIs are slightly wider than typical blades. I haven’t measured one to confirm, but my face says it may be true. I like the KAI in a Mamba.

I did measure the Derby Extra to be 0.005” wider than typical, and I can definitely feel that in a Mamba too. However, I did not like that combination. It did not cut as well as the KAI.

So far, the Feather has not been my favorite in anything. I doubt if I’ll start with KAI or Feather when the Wunderbar is back in stock.

I’ve read that KAIs are slightly wider than typical blades. I haven’t measured one to confirm, but my face says it may be true. I like the KAI in a Mamba.

I did measure the Derby Extra to be 0.005” wider than typical, and I can definitely feel that in a Mamba too. However, I did not like that combination. It did not cut as well as the KAI.

So far, the Feather has not been my favorite in anything. I doubt if I’ll start with KAI or Feather when the Wunderbar is back in stock.

Very well could be true. A wider blade would protrude more and could in theory change Shaving angle I guess. Good thing there are a ton of options out there for us all to try.

I haven't tried a Kai in the Wolfman but now I think I will. I find the Kai to be very nice in the Rockwell 6s on #4. The Feather is beautiful in the Rockwell as well from #3-#5 that I've tried and I also like it in the Wolfman. I seem to prefer the sharpest blades in my most aggressive razors. Right now I am absolutely loving the combination of Rockwell 6s #4 and Polsilver Super Iridium - a very efficient yet comfortable shave. I don't recall if I've tried the PSI in the Wolfman. I think I'm going to have to start keeping notes again. I kept notes at the beginning and its an excellent way to keep track of things, especially now that I've got multiple razors and blades to work with.

I measured some more blades, and confirmed the KAI is quite a bit wider.

Of the dozen blades I’ve checked now, most are 0.004” thick and 0.864” wide.

The outliers are:
KAI 0.876” wide
Derby Extra 0.869” wide
Polsilver 0.865” wide
Bic Chrome Platinum 0.859” wide

Feather, btw, is right on the typical 0.864” wide.

KAI is almost 1/3 millimeter wider than typical.

I’m not really convinced the KAI is even as sharp as it is reputed to be, at least not straight out of the wrapper. It does, however, have quite a bit more blade exposure.

Interesting about the measurement.

I don't use them often, Kai blades, but I think they're good blades. Never used used one in my Wolfman actually.

I'll give it a whirl this weekend and see.

I found that my Feathers can be more or less harsh depending on the razor. But the Personna Red is always smooth in every razor I've had.

I measured some more blades, and confirmed the KAI is quite a bit wider.

Of the dozen blades I’ve checked now, most are 0.004” thick and 0.864” wide.

The outliers are:
KAI 0.876” wide
Derby Extra 0.869” wide
Polsilver 0.865” wide
Bic Chrome Platinum 0.859” wide

Feather, btw, is right on the typical 0.864” wide.

KAI is almost 1/3 millimeter wider than typical.

I’m not really convinced the KAI is even as sharp as it is reputed to be, at least not straight out of the wrapper. It does, however, have quite a bit more blade exposure.

This is very interesting. That extra exposure could certainly account for the feel of aggressiveness. The Kai is obviously thicker than most other blades I used which makes it more rigid as well.

So far, the only blade I’ve measured to be thicker than normal was the Polsilver at 0.0045” vs 0.004” typical. However, that is at the resolution of my calipers (0.0005”). It is possible that the KAI is slightly thicker but too close to measure. If so, it can’t be more than about 12% thicker.

[Oops. I think it was the Derby Extra that was thicker, not the Polsilver. I need to check my notes on Monday. Regardless, it was NOT the KAI. I was surprised because it certainly feels stiffer.]